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Women’s Philanthropy, By the Numbers

Women are the fastest-growing philanthropic group. They have wealth, influence and a commitment to change. They are where the dollars and decision-making power are now and will be for some time.

Women are driving change in business and the home. A few facts:

Women hold 51 percent of managerial and professional jobs in the workplace.

Women are 42 percent of the top wealth holders in the United States.

Women are the fastest-growing segment of wealthy individuals; in the past decade, the number of women earning more than $100,000 tripled.

Women are more likely to give a higher amount to 10 out of 11 charitable subsectors, with the exception of the sports/recreation subsector.

For every $10,000 that the wife’s income increases, total household giving increases by more than 5 percent. In comparison, for every $10,000 the husband’s income increases, total household giving increases by 3 percent.

Ultimately, women give significantly more than similarly situated men at almost all income levels.

It is time to put a spotlight on our current fundraising behaviors, discern their effectiveness when applied to women and consciously choose ways to adapt our approach as needed. To do that:

Dive into your data to understand how women currently support your institution.

Interview your women stakeholders. Asking a woman one-on-one about her experiences in philanthropy will provide you with rich, qualitative answers not gathered in larger groups or surveys.

Look at your current fundraising behaviors. What might be in your collective best practices that gets in the way of growing support from women? Where might you have blinders on?

Review the discovery inputs, and create a practical vision for what you want to accomplish to grow women’s influence and support for your mission.

Kathleen E. Loehr is the principal of Kathleen Loehr & Associates, a philanthropy and leadership practice.